The invention relates to a velocity-regulating system for motor vehicles in accordance with the preamble to claim 1.
Motor vehicles having velocity-regulating systems have been known for a long time. The majority of currently available velocity-regulating systems regulate the velocity of the motor vehicle at a pre-specified target velocity. In addition to these driving velocity-regulating systems, today it is also possible to purchase from some manufacturers a velocity-regulating system augmented with distance-regulation. In principle, the generally known velocity regulation, which includes a certain pre-specified target velocity, is augmented with an additional distance-regulating function so that it is also possible to use such distance-related velocity regulation in heavy highway and road traffic. This so-called “distance-related velocity regulation” maintains the pre-specified target velocity if the current traffic lane is clear. If a distance sensor system that is attached to the motor vehicle and that can work in particular based on radar detects a preceding slower target object or (motor) vehicle in its lane, its velocity is adapted, for instance by initiating a suitable braking torque, to the velocity of the preceding motor vehicle such that a pre-specified distance from the target object is maintained. Some such systems can regulate trailing travel all the way to a stop.
In principle, velocity-regulating systems may be turned on, turned off, and temporarily deactivated by means of an operating element that is arranged, for instance, on the steering wheel or on the instrument panel or by means of an operating lever that is arranged, for instance, in the vicinity of the steering wheel. In addition, velocity regulation may also be interrupted due to certain driving or driver maneuvers so that the velocity-regulating system, in principle, is still turned on but does not regulate the velocity during the interruption. Velocity regulation is interrupted by switching to a so-called standby mode, for instance if the appropriate operating element is actuated, if the driver actuates the brake pedal or hand brake, or due to an automatic driving stabilization intervention. In these cases the velocity-regulating system is still turned on, but the regulation is not active.
To reactivate the interrupted velocity regulation at the pre-specified target velocity, the driver must actuate a corresponding operating element, which as a rule is also arranged on the steering wheel or in the vicinity of the steering wheel. Velocity regulation then again regulates at the target velocity that was stored previously. Alternatively, when another operating element is actuated while velocity regulation is in the interrupted state, velocity regulation may be reactivated at the current velocity as the new target velocity. Such a velocity-regulating system is used for instance in the current BMW 5 series automobiles.
Furthermore, EP 1 812 258 B1 discloses a driver assistance system having at least two operating modes, wherein the driver assistance system has an operating element that activates a special safety operating mode of the driver assistance system for the duration of the actuation.
Finally, a velocity-regulating system is also known in which at least one operating element is embodied such that different functions are executed depending on the type of actuation. Thus, DE 10 2008 027 120 A1 discloses a velocity-regulating system having an operating element that is embodied as a touch-sensitive button and that, when the button is pressed, reactivates the interrupted velocity regulation at the stored target velocity. And, when the button is touched, the velocity-regulating system activates a display in which the stored target velocity and/or the stored distance are displayed or enlarges such a display. The display is active for a pre-specified time period.
The object of the invention is to provide a velocity-regulating system that is more user-friendly and more convenient to operate and that permits the driver to make a short-term intervention in the current velocity regulation in a simple manner.
This object is attained using a velocity-regulating system in accordance with patent claim 1. Advantageous refinements are found in the dependent claims.
The inventive velocity-regulating system is based on a known velocity-regulating system for motor vehicles having an electronic control device that produces control signals for regulating the velocity of the motor vehicle at a pre-specified target velocity and/or at a pre-specified distance from a preceding target object, and having at least one operating element whose actuation causes an intervention that influences the velocity regulation.
The invention is based on the idea that, for proactive, efficient driving with a velocity-regulating system, it is frequently necessary to deviate from the set velocity, in particular to decelerate from the set velocity early by coasting in overrun or sail mode. Although one of the aforesaid operating actions (interrupting by actuating an operating element or by brake actuation) leads to the vehicle coasting, reactivation of velocity regulation is only possible using another manual operating step (turning on the operating element).
The invention therefore provides that the at least one operating element is embodied as a touch-sensitive button that, when the button is pressed, produces a first intervention that influences the velocity regulation, and that, when the button is touched, for the period during which button is touched, produces a second intervention that influences the velocity regulation. Once the button is no longer being touched, the original active velocity regulation is continued.
The operating element embodied as a touch-sensitive button is advantageously a first operating element for turning on and/or turning off and/or interrupting the velocity regulation, that, when the button is pressed, interrupts the active velocity regulation and/or deactivates the interrupted velocity regulation and/or activates the deactivated velocity regulation. Moreover, when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, active velocity regulation is interrupted such that no drive torque is produced. Thus, the vehicle is operated in coasting mode for the period during which the button is touched. For safety reasons, however, automatic braking intervention may occur if this appears necessary or logical.
Alternatively or additionally, the second operating element, which is present for specifying the current velocity as the new target velocity, may also be embodied as a touch-sensitive button that, when the button is pressed and the velocity regulation is active, specifies the current target velocity as the new target velocity and/or, if the velocity regulation is interrupted, activates the velocity regulation at the current velocity as the target velocity. Moreover, when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, active velocity regulation is interrupted such that no drive torque is produced. Likewise, alternatively or additionally, the third operating element provided for reactivating the interrupted velocity regulation at the stored target velocity and/or the stored distance may also be embodied as a touch-sensitive button that, when the button is pressed, reactivates the interrupted regulation of the velocity at the stored target velocity and/or the stored distance. Moreover, when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, velocity regulation is interrupted such that no drive torque is produced.
As stated in the foregoing, for safety reasons, required automatic braking intervention may be performed even during the partial interruption of the velocity regulation due to the operating element being touched. Alternatively, however, the velocity regulation may also be completely interrupted for the period during which the button is touched so that neither drive torque nor braking intervention is produced.
In order to be able to coast as early as possible and thus with the greatest energy savings possible, in vehicles that are equipped with an automatic transmission or automated transmission, for the period during which the operating element embodied as a touch-sensitive button is touched, not only can the velocity regulation be interrupted, but also in addition the transmission may be switched to neutral (that is, the clutch is disengaged) and the vehicle may be operated in a so-called sail mode. Thus, there is also no deceleration torque caused by the coasting mode. Once the button is no longer being touched, an appropriate gear is engaged and the disengaged clutch is engaged.
In an analogous embodiment, temporary acceleration may occur due to over-controlling the velocity regulation. In this case, for instance the operating element embodied as a touch-sensitive button is the first operating element for turning on and/or turning off and/or interrupting the velocity regulation, and that, when the button is pressed, interrupts the active velocity regulation and/or deactivates the interrupted velocity regulation and/or activates the deactivated velocity regulation, and that, when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, over-controls the current velocity regulation in that the vehicle is accelerated with a pre-specified acceleration.
Alternatively or in addition, the second operating element, which is present for pre-specifying the current velocity as the new target velocity, may also be embodied as a touch-sensitive button that, when the button is pressed and the velocity regulation is active, pre-specifies the current target velocity as the new target velocity and/or when the velocity regulation is interrupted activates the velocity regulation at the current velocity as the target velocity. Moreover, when the button is touched, for the period during which button is touched, current velocity regulation is over-controlled in that the vehicle is accelerated at a pre-specified acceleration Likewise, alternatively or in addition, the third operating element provided for reactivating the interrupted velocity regulation at the stored target velocity and/or the stored distance may be embodied as a touch-sensitive button that, when the button is pressed, reactivates the interrupted regulation of the velocity at the stored target velocity and/or reactivates the stored distance. Moreover, when the button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, current velocity regulation is over-controlled in that the vehicle is accelerated at a pre-specified acceleration.
In order to be able to enable temporary deceleration or coasting of the vehicle and temporary acceleration of the vehicle for the period during which a touch-sensitive button provided for this purpose is touched, the velocity regulating system is to be embodied such that at least two of the known operating elements are embodied as touch-sensitive buttons. When the one touch-sensitive button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, there is intervention in the velocity regulation such that at least no drive torque is produced. And when the other touch-sensitive button is touched, for the period during which the button is touched, there is intervention in the velocity regulation such that the vehicle is accelerated at a pre-specified acceleration.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.